Out ...Lleyton Hewitt at the Winston-Salem Open tennis tournament on Monday. Photo: AP

But the 30-year-old, who won the title at Flushing Meadows a decade ago, withdrew from the upcoming grand slam after pulling out of last week's US Open warm-up in Cincinnati and suffering pain in a first-round exit at the Winston-Salem ATP tournament on Monday.

The two-time grand slam champion and former world No.1 gave no indication of his intentions on Monday, saying he would need "a lot of practise and a lot of treatment" before the start of the year's final grand slam.

Hewitt underwent surgery on his foot in March and has never returned to court pain free since. He has not reached the second week of a major since Wimbledon, 2009.

He will return to Australia for treatment in hopes of contesting next month's Davis Cup tie against Switzerland in Sydney.